High School & Middle School Play Festivals
The High School and Middle School Play Festivals are an opportunity for students at NCTC member schools to showcase their work, learn from others, make new theatre friends and celebrate their achievements. Schools present 45 minute shows to adjudicators, who provide knowledgeable and encouraging feedback. In 2010, over 2,000 students from over 120 schools participated in the Play Festivals, which took place at 10 regional sites across the state.
NCTC has offered me many opportunities and experiences. The dedication, time, work and focus required to prepare for the Middle School Play Festival is astounding. These kinds of opportunities are great for middle school kids to be exposed to as they begin to figure out what they really love. One of the most exciting things that I gained during NCTC was relationships. I made so many new friends and met so many new people that I will never forget."
-- Lauren Zitney, Yancey County Middle School
"I love everything about NCTC, the festival, the rehearsals, even the bus ride there and back. Our teacher, Jenny Martin, believes in us and every year she takes a risk with us by choosing plays like “Richard Cory” and “The Diviners” to take to the festival. I want to thank NCTC for giving us the opportunity to show off all the hard work we put into these plays every year."
-- Noah Gavenus, East Yancey Middle School
"Being involved with NCTC has inspired me to introduce theatre to kids that otherwise might not experience it. I always thought theatre education just started in high school; I didn't realize it even existed at a middle school level. At the beginning of the year, I approached the principal at Kings Mountain Middle School and told him I would like to start a "little sister" drama department.
He was on board with my idea, and now every Thursday I go over to the middle school and teach the students theatre games, skills, and concepts. The pilot year has been successful, with 30-35 students participating. I am also directing a play with them that will go up in May.
NCTC is more than just doing a play for the sake of doing it - it is to learn from other schools, meet kids from other schools, and overall grow as a theatre person. I've gained friends from NCTC, I've learned high levels of professionalism, and I've just had FUN."
-- Lizzie Anderson, Kings Mountain High School
As a parent, I have had the opportunity to watch students practice, perform and present plays that are more than they thought they could ever do. NCTC High School Competition is a rich avenue for talent that reaches deep into North Carolina schools and brings students from theatre stages across the state to one central location to perform and compete against the best of the best. I have seen exciting opportunities for students during festival - the friendships that are made and continue into college years, the healthy fear of peer performances, the stress of timed staging and the coordination needed to get it done. The free-for-all fun as everyone gathers for evening award ceremonies. It is a weekend I look forward to even though my student has graduated and moved on to college theatre. If you like being 'first', you will love watching these plays. You will most likely be the first to experience performers you will see in some type of media in a few years. I encourage everyone with a love for live theatre to support this group and what they offer to our rising talent in North Carolina.
Posted by: Jane Carpenter | 08/30/2011 at 08:36 AM
Thanks for your comment, Jane! We truly appreciate hearing this.
Posted by: Amanda Clark | 08/30/2011 at 10:45 AM